Lin Muxue nodded. "Alright, it's settled then."
Li Cang scratched his head awkwardly. "Xue Er, I won't be participating in the Arena Duel half a day from now. My opponent is Xia Ling, and if I weren't disabled, I might've given it a shot. But with only my legs, even though I've inherited Burgess' strength from the Pirate King and developed the Might Might Fruit further than before, Xia Ling is still an Ice Fruit Ability User. And we don't even know how strong Ice Fruit users were in the Pirate King's world. So, I'll pass."
"Besides, losing means no rewards—just a pointless beating. If there were rewards for losing, I might've considered it. So, yeah, I'll sit this one out."
Lin Muxue scoffed. "Pathetic. Keep training harder. Even with just your legs, you have the Might Might Fruit, which sounds impressive. If you don't reach Admiral-level strength eventually, get lost."
"Understood, Xue Er. I'll work hard to develop it."
Lin Muxue frowned, suddenly concerned.
"Now that you mention it, I'm a little worried—what if Ye Yu chooses not to participate?"
Qingfeng spoke up confidently. "Like we said before, whether he participates or not, it's bad for him. If he backs out, it means he's afraid, and Conqueror's Haki is tied to one's spirit. If he's scared, his Haki will weaken."
Lin Muxue remembered and relaxed.
"Right. Either way, it's a lose-lose for him."
Meanwhile, Yang Luo learned that Lin Muxue's opponent in the Arena Duel was Ye Yu.
Even he felt relieved that his own opponent wasn't Ye Yu. After a brief hesitation, he decided to call Lin Muxue and warn her.
Lin Muxue answered impatiently, her dislike for Yang Luo evident. He had once suggested that Non-Ability Users with low potential shouldn't be dismissed—as if Ye Yu could stay unmatched forever. Ridiculous.
Ability Users inherently had greater potential, and hers was the greatest of all. She eagerly awaited the day her Rumble Rumble Fruit Awakened—just how terrifying would she become?
If the Tremor-Tremor Fruit could destroy the world in its later stages, what about her? Could she summon lightning across the entire sky? That would be an apocalyptic-level power.
So, in Lin Muxue's eyes, Ye Yu couldn't possibly compare to her in the long run.
Yang Luo warned, "Lin Muxue, your Arena Duel is against Ye Yu."
"Yeah, so what?"
Yang Luo's tone turned deadly serious. "Forfeit. Don't enter."
Lin Muxue froze, then laughed coldly.
"Ha! Are you joking? Do you know how long I've waited for this? Now you want me to back out? Ye Yu's been fattened up—I can finally slaughter him and reap the most experience. And you're telling me to forfeit? Not a chance."
Yang Luo insisted, "You can't win against Ye Yu. Winning or losing doesn't matter to me—what does is that after the Ranking Realm, we'll be moving against the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew. If you're severely injured, you'll need at least a week to recover. By then, when the real fight starts, you being wounded would be a problem. You're a valuable asset—we need everyone at their best to take on Ye Yu."
Lin Muxue snorted coldly, "Impossible. How could I give up such a great opportunity to gain experience? Ye Yu would laugh at me to death if I did. I must defeat him in the arena duel and redeem my honor. Do you know how I've suffered these past two months, how much humiliation I've endured? I've been waiting for this moment. Giving up and letting Ye Yu win would be like working hard just to give him experience!"
Yang Luo sighed, "You can't beat him. Why bother? Just endure it for now. Save your revenge for when our alliance deals with them. There's no need to rush these two days."
"Shut up! Enough! It's impossible."
Yang Luo was helpless, knowing persuasion was futile, so he gave up. He warned, "I hope you won't regret this. Your grudge with him is deep—he definitely won't go easy on you."
"Hmph, it's me who won't go easy on him. I'll make him taste my lightning."
...
After hanging up, Yang Luo sighed but thought that even if Lin Muxue ended up severely injured, the fight could still proceed. They had to suppress them at all costs.
Time passed, and now, aboard the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew's ship.
Everyone was eager and ready for the arena duels.
Ye Yu believed most of his crew's vice-captain and executives would win.
This arena event would significantly boost the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew's overall strength, as they were all elites.
At that moment, everyone waited. Suddenly, the sky transformed, revealing a massive arena.
Though only one, it was visible to the entire world, and a message resounded:
"The arena duels begin now. Enter with a single thought. Once inside, two opponents will face off in the arena. You may choose to forfeit and not enter or to participate. However, losing yields no rewards."
"Additionally, if a fatal injury is sustained, you will be automatically teleported out. Thus, the duels won't result in death, but severe injuries are possible."
Lin Muxue could hardly wait, staring at the arena with clenched fists.
"The moment has finally come. Ye Yu, I'm about to teach you a lesson. Just wait till I electrocute you until you beg for mercy. I will redeem my honor!"
Meanwhile, Jin Mo and the others were somewhat disappointed—they hadn't been matched against strong opponents. Winning wouldn't grant them much experience.
They envied Lin Muxue for being paired against Ye Yu. The rewards from the arena were determined by the opponent's strength. Defeating someone as powerful as Ye Yu would surely yield immense experience.
Wang Quanshi was the most regretful. Confident in his current strength as the Strongest Creature in the Sea, Land, and Air, he longed for a chance to face Ye Yu in the arena and claim his title.
Ye Yu, assessing his crew's matchups, wasn't worried—especially not about Zhang Tian. She was akin to Robin among pirates, now highly developed, with skills evolving toward those of a certain legendary figure.
Current Zhang Tian could easily defeat a Demon Bamboo Contractor.
The message echoed again:
"Begin. Enter with a single thought."
Instantly, many vanished, while others chose not to enter, forfeiting outright.
They knew they stood no chance against such formidable foes.
Lin Muxue, impatient, willed herself into the arena instantly.
Appearing on the platform, she looked around but saw no sign of Ye Yu.
Disappointed, she sneered, "Scared? Planning to forfeit? Does he know I've surpassed him now, that my potential is greater? Too afraid to face me? Damn it, this is infuriating. I wanted him to come in and suffer under my hands!"
Lin Muxue gritted her teeth in anger.
But at that moment, a figure appeared. Looking over, her heart surged with wild joy.
"Haha, Ye Yu, you actually dared to come. Good, very good! I've been waiting for this day for a long time. I was worried you wouldn't have the courage."
Ye Yu smiled disdainfully. "Why wouldn't I come? After raising pigs for so long, how could I not show up? You've worked so hard to improve yourself just to give me experience."